Arrest made in hit-and-run death of police officer

A 20-year-old man has been arrested in connection with a hit-and-run crash that left one Los Angeles Police Department officer dead and another injured.

Police said Mynor Enrique Varela of Los Angeles was booked Tuesday afternoon and is being held without bail.

Officer Roberto Sanchez, 32, of the Harbor Division, died Saturday after an SUV collided with his patrol car at around 4 a.m. Sanchez, who grew up in Santa Ana, and his partner were following a traffic violator when the crash occurred at West Anaheim and Senator streets in Harbor City. The driver fled the scene.

Sanchez’s partner, officer Richard Medina, suffered multiple injuries including a broken jaw. They were taken to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, where Sanchez died.

No other details about the suspect or how he was located were immediately available. Police said they continued to investigate the crash.

Medina was released from the hospital early Monday and is recovering from his injuries.

Sanchez, from Santa Ana, was a six-year veteran of the police department and left behind a wife and his parents. He is the third Los Angeles police officer to die in wrecks in two months.

“We shall never forget Roberto, who gave his life in the name of serving others,” LAPD Chief of Police Charlie Beck said in the announcement of Sanchez’s death.

“Together we will get through this as an LAPD family. Stay strong and continue looking after one another to keep each other safe.”